Hanger-supporting rail for wardrobe-trunks



v L. F. BRASCH.

HANGER SUPPORTING RAIL FOR WARDROBE T'RUNKS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29! I9I9.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

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LOUIS F. BRASCH, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

HANGER-SUPPORTING RAIL FOB WARDROBE-TRUNKS.

Application filed July 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, LOUISF. BRASCH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hanger-Supporting Rails for Wardrobe-Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved rail adapted to be used in wardrobe trunks, being arranged on each side of the trunk, which rails act as supports for hangers on which skirts and similar garments are suspended.

The invention is designed to provide a rail of this kind which has a swinging end adapted to be swung downward when the trunk is closed, and to be swung up into position when the trunk is opened and the hangers are to he slid forward, this swinging extension being arranged on the end of a fixed rail. When extended, the complete device projects a considerable distance outside of the trunk and is held in such extended position by a rod that is in engagement with a stud on a bracket to hold the extension horizontally, or substantially so, the bracket and the brace being off-set so that when assembled, the brace lies close tothe side of the trunk and, having no unprotected sharp edges, does not disturb the clothing previously packed into the trunk.

Another advantage of this construction is that the olf-set portion of the brace provides a handy projection, for lifting the brace up when the extension is to be swung down ward, in a position where it is natural for a person operating the device to grasp the extension. The device is simple, compact and inexpensive, and is easily operated.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a section of the top part of a wardrobe trunk, showing the fixed rail and the extension in operative or extended position in full lines, the extension being swung downward in dotted outline, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

The fixed rail 10 is supported at one end by suitable means, such as a plate 11, and in the form shown the plate 11 is secured by screws 12 to the back of the trunk, and the end 13 of the rail 10 is riveted so as to provide a flush rear face on the plate 11, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 314,091.

front of the rail 10 being supported by a bracket 14 suitably secured, such as by screws 15. The bracket has off-set portion 16. The ends 17 of the plate are slid into slots in the rail and then headed to form rivets, the bracket 14 fitting flush up against the side of the trunk. The rail 10 is thus the proper distance from the side of the trunk to provide clear travel for the ends of any suitable form of hanger 18 used in the trunk for supporting garments, such as skirts or trousers.

The extension 19 is pivoted, as at 20, to the fixed rail 10 and can be swung clownward to a vertical position, as shown in dot ted outline in Fig. 1, and can also be swung upward to form a continuous rail with the part 10. The clip 21 is secured to the underside of the extension by means of the fingers 22, which are slid into perforations 1n the extension and then headed so as to form rivets, and pivoted, as at 23, to the clip 21 is a brace 2% having an offset portion 25 so that the major portion of the brace, from its free end to near its pivoted end, is substantially parallel to and lies close against the bracket 14 and is adapted to be engaged therewith and supported thereby by suitable means, the means shown comprisin a stud 26 which is headed, and the shank of which receives a notch 27 in the brace.

A second stud 28 is preferably arranged to form a guiding means for the brace when the extension is swung downward, and to form a stop when the brace is lifted to per-. mit the downward swinging of the exten sion, the heads of the studs 26 and 28 being preferably rounded so as to form no sharp projecting parts, and the edges of the brace 24 are preferably made so that they form no projecting unshielded edges to cut into any clothing.

With this form of rail and its brace, the extended rail, when it is about to be lowered, is usually grasped by the hand of the operator, the operator usually taking both at the same time, using each hand for one and grasping the extension near the clip in a natural position, as this is the natural position for the operator to take, and when the hands thus grasp the device, the elf-set portion of the brace offers an element that extends substantially out of line of the rail or extension to receive the fingers of the hand without the necessity of'the operator used that have notched ends and are in line with the rail, or nearly so, and it will be further noted that when abulky garment is put into the trunk, as, for instance, skirts with panniers, or similar garments with projecting sides, the trunk is usually fairly well filled out to the end of the fixed rail, and with this former device, when the bracket is set to swing the extensions downward, these extending parts of the clothing are engaged by the pointed end of the brace and sometimes torn thereby, and, if not torn thereby, they are at least pressed at one point by this element, and when the trunk is packed for some time it spoils the appearance of the garment by making a marked indentation therein.

By this invention this is avoided and the end of the bracket slides in between the sides of the garments and the side of the'trunk I and no damage and no appreciable disarrangement of clothing is done.

I claim:

A hanger support for wardrobe trunks comprising a fixed rail supported at its rear end, a bracket supporting the railnear its front end so that the rail is spaced from the side of the trunk, the bracket being oif-set directly below the rail, the main portion thereof being flat and secured against the side of the trunk below the off-set, an extension rail hinged at one end to the end of the rail and having its other end free, a brace in hinged relation to the extension and having a laterally rod-set portion close to the hinge, the brace beyond the oil-set portion lying parallel to and close against the bracket below the off-set part of the bracket, whereby practically the full width of the inside of the trunk below the oil-set parts is available for the suspension and movement of clothes and clothes hangers, and means on the main portion of the bracket for engaging the brace to hold it in its bracing position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereto set my hand, this 25th day of July, 1919.

LOUIS F. BRASCH. 

